Stabilizing device for aeroplanes.



. J. M. REYNOLDS. STABILIZING DEVICE FOR AI'IROPLANESz APPLICATION mm OCT. 3, 1914. 1,148,050. v I Patented July 27, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. M. REYNOLDS.

SIABILIZHQG DEVlCE FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED 0on3. 1914.

Patnted July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- is provided with the rods lad .i-

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s'rssrztrzme environ roe annormnns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2'7, 1915.

Application filed fictabcr 3, 1914. Serial No. 864,811.

' wlom it mcycogwern 1 it known that l, Jam-1s M. ltnrxonna, a citizen of the United States, residing at With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts, more fully hereinafter disclosed and par ticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specificatiomin which like numerals designate like parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view, partly in section of a flying machine prosided with a stabilizing means, made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, diagrammatically showing one of the engines detached from the machine. Fig. 4 is a. diagram illustrating the connections between the engines and the aviators seat. Fig. 5

a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing a slightly modified "form of construction. Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail view showing the arm rest or-back of the aviators seat in two positions, and Fig. 7 is a slightly modified} form of connection between the engine 1e! vers and the'aviators seat.

Any silitable supporting surfaces such as the upper and lower planes 1 and 2 may be en'iployed. as wellas'any suitable frame work or hearing construction 3.

lindicates the usual or any desired ele vating plane, and 5 a rudder. The elevator 6 to which are attached the cords 7 leading to the. steering wheel 8, and to the rudder are attached the cords 9, also leading to said steering wheel.

10 and 11 indicate an additional stiffening or frame worit, and suitable skids or other landing means.

All of the above parts are or may be of the nsnalor any desired cons ruction, and

' Fig. 2.

my invention will be understood from What is now to be described.

liroted in the frame 3, as at 12 are the trunnions 13 of a strap or casing 14 which contains the engine 16 having a shaft 17 to which is secured the driving and stabilizing propeller 18. Extending from the easing, and secured thereto as by the strap 19 is the operating lever 21, so that if said lever is lowered the engine and easing will rock on the trunnions 13, and the said propeller 18 will be raised. in the same way if the lever 21 is raised the engine and easing Will likewise rock on the trunnions 13 to lower the propeller 18, as will be clear from the full and dotted line positions shown in It will be observed that since the frame work 3 extends vertically as shown in Fig. 2,-the propellers 18 are prevented froinmoving except in an up and down direction, so that when'the propeller on one side is moved up or down it is compelled to move in a direction parallel to the propeller on the other side, which likewise moves up and down, and therefore a true stabilizing action is had, which would not be the case if only a single propeller mounted on gimbal bean ingswas provided, and which had a motion in all directions. 7 1

I prefer to employ two engines 16 symmetrically placed on each side of the center of the machine, as shown, and to cause their propellers 18 to rotate in opposite directions in order to counteract each others disturbing forces which would otherwise tend to turn or tip the machine. 1 further prefer to locate the pivot points 12 of the engines in a line parallel to the supporting planes 1 and 2 and in a vertical plane passing through said supporting planes about one third of their width from their extreme forward edges 25, in order that the center of gravity of the system may be as near as possible below the center of buoyancy.

The seat for the aviator is represented at 26 having a pivoted back or arm rest 27,- and leading downwardly from one ofthe levers 21 over the pulley 28, and to said back or rest 27 is the cord 30, see Fig. 1. Leading upwardly from said lever 21, over the pulleys 31, 32 and 33 to said arm rest 27 is the cord 34. Said cords and Be being attached to said seat back or arm rest 27, and the latter being pivoted as at 35, it is evident if it be swung from its full line to its dotted line. position, shown in Fig. 6, that the cord 34 will cause the. lever 21- to rise and its corresponding propeller 18 to fall, while if the rest 27 is moved in an opposite direction, the lever 21 will descend through the pull on the cord 30, and its propeller 18 will rise.

In the same way, the other lever of the '7 other engine 16 is provided with a cord 41 passing downwardly over the ulley 42 to the rest 27, and also has a cord 43 passing upwardly over the pulleys 44, 45 and 46 and back to said seat rest 27. It therefore fol- .lows that a's the rest 27 is moved toward the right asseen in Fig. 6, not only will the lever 21 be raised and its propeller 16 be lowered, but the lever 40 will at the same time be lowered and its corresponding propeller 16 be raised. It follows, likewise, if the seat rest 27 be turned toward the left as seen in Fig. 4, the lever 16 will be lowered and the lever 40 be raised, causingthe ropeller corresponding to lever 40 to be owered. In other words, it will now be clear that if the supporting planes 1 and 2 be tipped on one side or the other, that the aviator may readily lean toward the high side, whereupon the lever 16 or 40, on said high side will be at once raised and its corresponding propeller be tipped or lowered in such a direction as will cause a portion of'its power to be exerted in pulling down said high side. Itwill also now be clear that the samamovement of the arm rest 27 toward the high side will cause the lever 40 or 16 on the low side to be lowered and its corresponding propeller to be tipped in such a, direction as to cause a portion of its energy to be exerted in raising said low side.

It therefore follows that by the simple ex-' pedient of locating and pivoting my engines and propellers as above disclosed, the propellers may be employed as stabilizers for the machine while at the same time propelling it forward.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Fig. 5, the arrangement of parts are constructed as disclosed above, but the propellers are placed on the 'opposite side of the supporting planes and the aviators seat is likewise placed on the side gine 16,

opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Otherwise the construction is the same. In said figure, the lead of thecords from the levers 21 and 40 is necessarily different from that illustrated in the preceding figure, but said leads will/be readily understood; and 'need not be more fully illustrated. This figure,

however, will readily make clear, to those skilled in the art how the propellers 16 may I be placed on either side of the lifting planes at will. I I

In the modified form of connection shown in Fig. 7, a lever 60 is connected to the en and is provided with a gear or segmay var ment 61 meshing with an accompanying gear or segment 62 carried by the lever 63,

pivoted as at 64 to the frame work 3, and

from the lever 63 pass the cords 65 to the aviators seat or arm rest 27 so that when one of the cords 65 is pulled, the lever 60 will be lowered and when the other cord 65 is pulled,the lever 60 will be raised.

, Of course ball bearings, "not shown, or

other means may be employed to pivot the engines and the propellers, and also the position of the trunnlons 13 are so chosen that all of the partsare balanced as near as possible, so as to lessen the amount of pull required of the aviator;

It is obvious that those skilled in the art the details of construction, as well as t e arrangement of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to theabove disclosure, except as cinay be required by the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In'an aeroplane having. a supporting surface, the combination of a frame work associated with said surface; a plurality of engines provided with shafts pivotally mounted to move up and down parallel to each other in said frame work; a propeller mounted on each shaft; a satfor an aviator; and connections between said engines and said seat, whereby the said aviator may connections between said lovers and said seat, whereby the said aviator may readily tip each propeller in opposite directions relatively to said supporting surface to aid in stabilizing the machine, substantially as described.

, 3. In an aeroplane having a supporting surface, the combination of a frame work associated with said surface; a plurality of engines provided with shafts pivotally mounted to move parallel to each other in said frame work; a propeller mounted on each shaft; a lever extending from each enginei a seat for an aviator; and flexible conncctions between said levers and said seat, whereby the said aviator may readily "tip each propeller in opposite directions and loo parallel to each other relatively to said supporting surface to aid in stabilizing the mm chine, substantially as described.

4. In an aeroplanehaving a supporting surface, the combination of a pair of eta-- 5 connected to each engine; a movable member located near the aviators seat; and flexible connections betueensaid movable memher and each engine,iadapted to tip in opposite directions each engine and propeller 1Q relatively to said supporting surface and in planes perpendicular thereto to aid in stabilizing the machine, substantially as de scribed.

In an aeroplane having a supporting 5 surface, the combination of a pair of engines located beneath said surface and at equal distances on each side of the center of buoyancy of the machine; means for pivotally mounting said engines to move in planes 2o perpendicular to said surface; a lever ex t'endin from-each engine; a propeller connected to each engine; a movable member located nea the aviators seat; and flexible connections between said movable member and each lever, adapted to tip each engine and propeller in opposite directions rel.- tively to said supporting surface to aid in stabilizing the machine, substantially as de scribed.

6. In an aeroplane the combination of a pair of supporting surfaces; a pair of engincs nivotally mounted on each side of the center of buoyancy of said surfaces to move in planes perpendicular to said surfaces; propellers rigidly connected to said engines; an aviators seat having a pivoted back; levers extending from each engine; cords connected to said levers and pivoted back; and pulleys over which said cords pass whereby said propellers can only be moved in opposite directions to aid in stabilizing the machine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

- JAMES M. REYNOLDS.

-Witnesses:

T. A. Wrrnnnsroon, JAs. H. BLACKWOOD. 

